With "identity theft" in the news on a daily basis it's getting people thinking about how to protect themselves from this blight. Who better to ask than a couple of identity thieves serving time for their criminal activities. That's exactly what WYFF-TV in Greenville, S.C. did. Their story is both intriguing and scary, all at the same time. One inmate used a low tech approach and social engineering while the other used technology and position for criminal gain. As usual, it was greed that eventually tripped them up. They do offer some decent suggestions on how to avoid losing your identity and the story is certainly worth reading.

Identity theft is generally perpetrated solely for financial gain but there are many documented instances where identify theft was orchestrated to cover previous criminal activity. The many lives of Albert Walker is a perfect example of identity theft for this reason. Poor Ronald Platt was murdered in a desperate attempt to continue Albert Walker's deception. It's bad enough when someone steals your identity to clear out your bank account but when they want your identity badly enough to take your life for it you have to be a tad nervous.

During the heyday of espionage identity theft was a common tactic for inserting an operative behind enemy lines and is often used to this day by those in the 'business' of immigration for a price. Be wary of identity thieves! They could be after your wallet, your wife, or your life. Make sure you know where yours are.

Just how much is your identity worth? Bank employee's were being paid $10 per name by Orazio Lembo, the alleged mastermind behind a massive scheme where customer account information was being peddled to collection agencies and lawyers in what is being hailed as the worst breach of banking security in U.S. history. Lembo appeared in court on Thursday, April 28th, to face the music.

Even those that take precautions can still be at risk. Keystroke loggers and packet sniffers can compromise username and password pairs well before any encryption has a chance to provide it's protection. A keystroke logger was the tool of choice for identity thieves at Brigham Young University that's put the identities and personal information of more than 600 students in jeopardy. It's alleged the the keystroke logger was installed on April 4th, but was only discovered on April 21st. A ton of information for the bad guys!

Anyhow..., if I knew who I was I may be able to get my identity back. I thought I had the thief the other day until I realized it was my reflection in the mirror.

Check back regularly, no telling what little nugget of gnarled knowledge or whimsical wisdom you're going to unearth here but it could be 'somebody else's nugget' - don't leave yours laying around.

Hasta La L8r Señor Whoever You Were